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Midday Spice Newsletter Jan/Feb 2014

ON THE 8TH JANUARY, LOTUS FM CELEBRATED 31 YEARS ON AIR!!! Patrisha Naidoo, (pictured above, front row center), an ardent Lotus FM listener, shares her birthday with the station. Patrisha visited the Midday Spice show to celebrate her birthday and also congratulate Lotus FM on another milestone. Heres to many more years of broadcasting magic! Thank you for supporting and choosing LOTUS FM!! ************************************************************************************* In this edition of the Midday Spice Newsletter: The Winners of the Maid to Honor Competition Get a grip on your debt and finances learn about how to create a healthy savings plan in 2014 and about the benefits of Debt Counselling Sweet Treat recipes Burn Fat Fast with Patrick Holford & Kate Staples Pampering home-made bath and body treatments Highlights of the Midday Spice show

MIDDAY SPICE NEWSLETTER JAN/FEB 2014

WINNERS OF THE MAID TO HONOR COMPETITION

The Midday Spice show hosted the Maid to Honor competition in December. Listeners in Durban were invited to nominate their domestic helpers and motivate what made their domestic helpers so special and why they deserved to be honored. The winning domestic helpers, were Charity Mholongo, Samuke Gumede and Joyce Shabalala. Sushilla Singh nominated Charity Mholongo, whose been in the employ of the Singh residence for the past 10 years. Sushilla wrote that Charity is the sole provider for 13 people, including her disabled nephew. Charitys one year old daughter is in the care of her mother, while Charity works away from her home. Charity is a fan of Lotus FM and loves doing her chores while listening to the radio station. Nerisa Govender, nominated her domestic helper Joyce Shabalala, affectionately known as Aunty Joyce. Joyce never married but became the guardian for her two nephews, when their mother passed away. Joyce began working for Nerisa, when Nerssa and her family had relocated to the rural area of Ixopo. Joyce began taking care of Nerisas three year old daughter, Hannah. Nerisa says she cannot imagine life without Joyce, whose become an integral part of her family and is a great support system. Samuke Gumede, was nominated by her employer, Priscilla Govender . Samuke completed matric in 2009. She began working for the Govender family in January 2013. Samuke enrolled for a two year marketing programme and passed all her modules in her November 2013 exam. Priscilla described Samuke as having a good work ethic and is a loyal and dedicated employee. Charity Mholongo, Samuke Gumede and Joyce Shabalala each received a R3000 GAME shopping voucher and a Decadent Desserts Hamper, packed with yummy and festive treats.

MIDDAY SPICE NEWSLETTER JAN/FEB 2014

Joyce Shabalala with Varshan & Pravina

Charity Mhlongo

Priscilla Govender and her domestic helper Samuke Gumede

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SWEET TREATS.
Vaneshree Pillay is the owner of Decadent Desserts. She says she has always enjoyed baking and shes turned her passion for baking into a thriving business. Decadent Desserts offers a range of cakes, biscuits and desserts for all occasions. Contact Vaneshree Pillay on 031 7084228 / 0787946204 / email decadentdesserts@telkomsa.net / website www.decadentdessertsdbn.webs.com / Facebook: www.facebook.com/decadent.dessertsdbn

MIDDAY SPICE NEWSLETTER JAN/FEB 2014

Vaneshree Pillay shares some of her favorite recipes ECLAIRS

1 cup boiling water 125ml marg 1 cup cake flour 4 eggs 200g choc 250ml fresh cream 100g sugar Method Heat water in pot. Add marg and stir until boiling Add all cake four and cook until mix forms a ball. Place in mixer and quickly add eggs while beating. Place in piping bag and pipe into rosettes. Cook at 190 for 20 min and reduce to 160 for 20 min. Dip top into melted chocolate. Slit and fill with cream

MIDDAY SPICE NEWSLETTER JAN/FEB 2014

MILLIONAIRES SHORTBREAD
250 butter 125 sugar 500g flour Caramel 100g butter 100ml golden syrup 1 can condensed milk 125g sugar 200g Chocolate Method Cream butter and sugar until creamy. Sift in flour Place dough onto tray and bake until brown. Combine all ingredients in pot and cook until thick Pour over hot shortbread. Pour melted chocolate on top and cut into slices

MIDDAY SPICE NEWSLETTER JAN/FEB 2014

HUNGARIAN TARTS
250g margarine 200g sugar 4 tbl cooking oil 5ml vanilla essence 2 eggs beaten 4 cups flour 2 tbs baking powder Half teas salt Smooth apricot jam Method -Preheat oven to 150 degrees. -Cream marg and sugar,oil and essence. Mix well. -Add beaten eggs -Sift dry ingredients and fold in. Mix to form a stiff dough. -Half the dough and place in a beer box size pan and flatten. -Spread jam over. -Grate remainder dough on top. -Bake for 45 minutes. -Cut in squares when cold and dust with icing sugar

MIDDAY SPICE NEWSLETTER JAN/FEB 2014

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR DEBT IN 2014

If youve begun the New Year shouldering a heavy debt burden, take comfort in knowing that you share this problem with millions of other South Africans and that there are ways to take control of your finances again. Nobantu Mtsweni, debt counsellor at Legal & Tax, was interviewed on the Midday Spice about the benefits of debt counselling. According to Mtsweni, as an over-indebted consumer, you have a range of options to free yourself of your financial problems. You can deal with debt without having your goods repossessed or getting blacklisted by a credit bureau. A good place to start is by asking your creditors the people who loaned you money to change your repayment terms to ones that you are better able to match each month. But if that option will not work, you could look at entering the debt counselling process, says Mtsweni. This is a legal process where you apply to have your debt restructured so that you can pay household expenses and still be able to pay off debt at a reduced installment at the end of the month. Its not an easy way out - it demands commitment and sacrifice from you, says Mtsweni. But it can be the fresh start you need if you have become overburdened by debt. You can enter the debt counselling process by approaching a counsellor who is registered with the National Credit Regulator (NCR). If you are unsure who to use, contact the debt counselling team at Legal and Tax who can assist you. The debt counsellor will take care of your debt restructuring process for you, asking a court for a consent order for new payment agreements that better meet your financial circumstances. Once you have this consent order, your creditors must stick to the new repayment arrangement and may not take legal action against you, says Mtsweni. Be warned that if some of your creditors have taken legal action for late or nonpayment of your accounts, those debts cannot be included under the debt counselling processes. That means you should seek debt counselling at the earliest opportunity if there is a big chance you will default on debt repayments, Mtsweni advises. Mtsweni also says that before you enter the debt counselling process, you should consider the following: Debt counseling involves reducing your monthly payments on your debts, therefore it will take longer for you to settle the amount you owe and you will pay more interest. Debt counselling has a fee attached to it. Under debt counselling, you are unable to get more credit and you cannot make further use of your credit facilities.

MIDDAY SPICE NEWSLETTER JAN/FEB 2014

For more information on how debt counselling works or to request for a debt counsellor to assist you with taking control of finances, contact Legal & Tax on 0860 LTS LTS (587 587) or visit http://www.legalandtax.co.za or emailinfo@legalandtax.co.za

Nobantu Mtsweni has been a qualified debt counsellor since 2010. Before joining Legal & Tax, she ran her own small debt counselling business. She has worked in the financial services industry and is currently a third year LLB student with Unisa. She also has certificates in debt collection, as well as property law and conveyancing.

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MONEY MATTERSSaving tips

Anil Jugmohan, Investment Analyst at Nedgroup Investments, was interviewed on the Midday Spice show about how we can develop a culture of savings and manage debt. He suggests the following tips for maintaining a healthy savings plan in 2014:-

1. Increase your contributions Are you getting a raise this year? Instead of upgrading your car rather look at increasing your retirement savings contributions. The long-term benefits will far exceed the shortterm comforts of a new car. 2. Devise a debt payoff plan and avoid debt completely if possible Debt which accumulates can result in major financial losses in the long run. People often make the mistake of spending even more on luxuries before they settle currently

outstanding debt. Create a specific repayment plan for all debt and stick to it. Also draw up a monthly budget and check your expenditure against this at the end of the month to see where your money is going and where you can potentially find places to save. 3. Start an emergency fund Financial emergencies can come in the form of a job loss, medical bills, home repairs, car repairs and more. Secure your family against the unexpected in 2014 and beyond. Its

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never too late to start an emergency fund work towards saving three to six months worth of living

investing is actually one of the best investments you can make. These principles include risk vs. return, diversification, and the impact of costs and taxes over time. Also, avoid trying to time the market instead focus on long-term results.

expenses. This will take some time, but the trick is to start small and build up the capital over a few months. 4. Educate yourself about the

principles of investing Making an effort to learn more about the fundamental truths of

Anil Jugmohan joined Nedgroup Investments in 2007 as an Investment Analyst. He is a member of Nedgroups Asset Allocation Committee with specific responsibility for Equity Research. Anil is also a member of the Team which monitors and selects Fund Managers for their Best of Breed range of Unit Trust products. He is a CFA Charterholder and a member of the Actuarial Society of South Africa. For further financial and investment advice, log onto www.nedgroupinvestments.co.za

MIDDAY SPICE NEWSLETTER JAN/FEB 2014

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BURN FAT FAST BY PATRICK HOLFORD & KATE STAPLES

Kate Staples has been one of the UKs most prominent names in health, fitness and exercise for more than two decades. As a Great Britain pole vaulter she broke and rebroke a staggering 50 national and Commonwealth records. Kate has forged an impressive career in a wide variety of health and fitness environments, and holds qualifications in fitness, nutrition and yoga. Kate Staples teamed up with international authority on nutrition Patrick Holford for his book Burn Fat Fast: The Alternate-Day Low-GL Diet Plan. Burn Fat Fast is a step by step guide on how to lose excess weight quickly - for the long term and at the same time slow down the ageing process. Kate Staples spoke to Varshan Sookhun on the Midday Spice about the fat burning exercises she devised for the book : a series of eight minute resistance exercises to build muscle cells which further accelerate burning of fat. She has combined these with 30 minute cardio workouts (such as brisk walking, running or
MIDDAY SPICE NEWSLETTER JAN/FEB 2014

cycling) and incorporating these with interval training of 30 second sprints to further speed up the metabolism Burn Fat Fast combines Holfords proven and trusted low -GL (glycaemic load) eating plan with alternative-day dieting and the fat burning exercise routine which ensures quick weight loss without going hungry or most importantly, compromising long term health. The secret to Burn Fat Fast is making three simple lifestyle changes a low-GL diet, eating less every second day and resistance and endurance fat- burning exercises. The key to the low-GL diet is to eat foods that do not have a massive effect on raising blood sugar levels because this causes the production of the fat-storing and potentially harmful hormone called insulin. This production of insulin says Holford is the cornerstone to both weight loss and weight maintenance. When blood sugar levels increase, insulin is released into the blood

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in an attempt to remove the glucose (sugar). However, if you have eaten high-GL foods (more sugar than your body needs), the remainder goes to the liver where it is converted into fat and stored mostly around the waist. In Burn Fat Fast Holford takes this low-GL concept a step further by combining it with an alternate-day eating plan. Holfords alternate-day low-GL diet is made up of three days of modified fasting where a maximum of 35GLS are consumed on these days. This modified fasting every second day promotes drastic weight loss and switches on skinny genes and switches off genes that make us age faster.

With alternate-day eating the reason you lose weight and slow down the ageing process is not due to the number of calories consumed but again to do with controlling the production of insulin. Quite simply the more insulin your body produces, the faster you age and the more weight you put on, especially around the middle. Combining this eating plan with specific exercises speeds up your metabolism, builds muscle and turns your body into a fat-burning machine. For further information, www.patrickholford.com go to

For more information on Kate Staples see www.fitnesscamp.co.uk

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NATURAL BEAUTY

Nicole Seabrook (pictured above) recently released her first book, Soap, Bubbles & Scrubs. Nicole was interviewed on the Midday Spice show about the benefits of using natural bath and body products. Nicole is a qualified Therapeutic Aromatherapist. After attending a natural product workshop
during her time as an aromatherapy student, she became interested in creating her own, personalised natural products. Her book, Soaps, Bubbles & Scrubs comprises more than 100 simple, easy-to-follow recipes that Nicole has developed for use on your body and in your home. There are chapters on facial products, hair products, treatments for hands and feet, as well as products for babies and children, and for use during pregnancy.

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Below is a sample of some of the recipes from Soaps, Bubbles & Scrubs, courtesy of Random House Struik.

SHIMMERING HAIR MASK

Argan oil originates from Morocco. This oil, extracted from the nuts of a desert tree, is a good conditioner for the skin and hair, creating protection and shine without leaving a heavy residue. Jojoba oil is useful in balancing dry and oily skin, and provides extra moisture for the scalp and hair follicles. The oil can also be used as a conditioning treatment for all day use. Add a few drops to clean, dry hair and massage gently into the scalp and the rest of the hair. Comb through with a wide-toothed comb. Makes 150 ml 40 ml coconut oil 10 ml shea butter 50 ml argan oil 50 ml jojoba oil 1 drop rose geranium essential oil 1 drop fennel essential oil 1. Melt the coconut oil and shea butter in a saucepan over gentle heat. Pour all the ingredients into a glass bottle or plastic container and shake well. How do I use the hair mask? Wet hair and apply a handful of hair mask. Massage the mask into the scalp and hair. Cover the hair with a shower cap (or a little plastic wrap, wrapped loosely around the hair) and wrap your head in a small towel for about 30 minutes, or even overnight! Shampoo twice and follow with a herbal conditioning rinse.

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GENTLE ROSE WATER AND WITCH HAZEL FACIAL TONER

I like to use a spray bottle, and spray the facial toner directly onto the skin. The subtle rose fragrance is so pleasant and the witch hazel has astringent properties, which helps to tone and refresh the skin. I have used the water from the distillation process of essential oils, called hydrosol/hydrolat. Either rose geranium or lavender hydrosol/hydrolat may be used in this recipe. Makes 120 ml 100 ml rose geranium or lavender hydrosol/hydrolat 20 ml witch hazel solution 1. drop rose geranium essential oil 2. Pour the hydrolat and witch hazel into a glass or plastic container. 3. Add the essential oil, close the container and shake well. How do I use the toner? Apply directly to cleansed skin to tone and refresh.

SOOTHING EYE CREAM

Water-based gel, sweet almond oil and frankincense are combined to create a soothing eye gel, useful for helping to revitalize the skin surrounding the eyes. Makes 35 ml 30 ml carrier gel 5 ml sweet almond oil 1 drop frankincense essential oil (or 1 drop lavender essential oil if you dont have frankincense) 1. 2. 3. Place the carrier gel and sweet almond oil together in a bowl and mix well. Add the essential oil and mix through. Spoon into a small lip balm-sized container.

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How do I use the eye cream? Apply a very small amount to the area underneath the eye before applying your day cream.

MENS AFTER SHAVE BALM Masculine scents of sandalwood and cedarwood essential oils make this a popular blend for a soothing after-shave balm. Lavender essential oil also helps to calm skin irritation and is used for its regenerating properties. Makes 50 ml 50 ml carrier cream 5 ml jojoba oil 2 drops sandalwood essential oil 2 drops cedarwood essential oil 1 drop lavender essential oil 1. Place the carrier cream and jojoba oil in a bowl and mix well. Add the essential oils and mix through. 2. Spoon the cream into a sterilized glass or plastic jar. How do I use the after-shave balm? Apply the balm to the skin immediately after shaving.

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MIDDAY SPICE HIGHLIGHTS

Where in the World
The super fun game, Where in the World returned to the Midday Spice show in a new time slot! You can catch the cryptic clues to fascinating destinations, Mon-Fri at 14h40 on Lotus FM!

Mystery Voice
Catch the Mystery Voice game at 12h15 listen to a snippet of a famous voice and see if you can correctly identify the mystery personality.

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Mirchi
All the scandals! All the hot gossip! Tune in at 12h25 to get your daily dose of gossip. Find out what the rumor mills are churning out about your favorite celebrities!

Classic Caf
Pop into the Classic Caf between 13h30-14h00 to sample a selection of beautiful classic songs.

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MPOWER
Catch MPOWER at 14h50 for inspiration, motivation, success tips and the secrets to creating a life filled with prosperity, joy and beauty.

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THE MIDDAY SPICE SHOW ON LOTUS FM WEEKDAYS 12H00=15H00 PRESENTED BY VARSHAN SOOKHUN PRODUCED BY PRAVINA MAHARAJ
MIDDAY SPICE NEWSLETTER JAN/FEB 2014